Check-controlled mechanism



H. E. WURZBACH ET AL 1,764,091

June 17, 1930.

CHECK CONTROLLED MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheerv l 7 Filed May 6, 1929 A TTORNEY 6/ BY M June 17, 1930. H. E. WURZBACH ET AL 1,764,091

CHECK CONTROLLED MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6, 1929 A TTORNEYS Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HUG H E. WURZBACH AND LESLIE H. WADSWORTH, OF MAGNA, UTAH, AND HARRY G. N'UTT, OF ALTADENA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE SELECTOR CORPORATION, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, A CORPORATION OF UTAH CHECK-CONTROLLED MECHANISM Application flied may 6, 1929. Serial No. 360,698.

This invention relates to operating mechanism for vending machines or the like whose effective operation is controlled by or dependent upon insertion of a coin or other check therein. More particularly, the device may be described as having manually or otherwise actuating means; a'movable part or member adapted to be operatively con: nected to vending mechanism, change delivering mechanism, or other mechanism to be operated thereby; and means dependent upon insertion or presence of a check n a certain position for causing operation of said movable part by said actuating means.

The main object of they invention is to provide in a device of this character, a novel construction and arrangement of elements, whereby the device is absolutely dependable and positive in operation, so that 1t will always operate effectively when a check 15 inserted therein and will always fall to so operate in the absence of such a check.

A further object of the invent1on 1s the prevention of clogging of the mechamsm or the check receiving means thereof by checks inserted therein.-

Other objects are simplicity, lowcost of manufacture, and ease of operation.

A particular object of the invention 1s the provision of positive locking means for the movable part connected to operate the vending machine or the like, and means whereby operation of the actuating member following insertion of a check in a certain posltlon, first releases said locking means and then causes operation of said movable part.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a device of this type, having locking means as above described, manually operable means, located preferably inside the housing in which the mechanism is enclosed, for vreleasing. said locking vmeans, whereby an authorized person having access to the interior of said housing may release said locking means, so as to permit free movement of the vending mechanism or other mechanism operated thereby, for any desired purpose.

Qther objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description.

The mechanism of our invention comprises essentially a movable member or part adapted to be operatively connected to vending mechanism or the like, means on said movable member for receiving and holding a check, means for locking said movable member against movement, and actuating means adapted to be operated manually or otherwise, so as to engage a check in said check receivingmeans, said actuating means being operable upon such engagement to first release said locking means and to thereafter move said movable member, so as to cause operation of said vending mechanism or other device to be 0 erated thereby.

According to a pre erred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the movable part or member above mentioned comprises a disc having a plurality of check receiving and holding pockets or recesses s aced at suitable intervals about its perip ery, whereby any one of said pockets or recesses may be brought into position to receive a check inserted in or delivered to said mechanism, and the locking means is adapted to engage said disc and lock the same in any position in which one of said pockets is disposed in such check receiving position. In this embodiment of the invention the actuating means may comprise an arm mounted to rotate about the axis of said disc and a rocking arc-shaped lever pivotally mounted at the outer end of said arm and adjacent the periphery of said disc and provided with an inclined shoulder adapted, upon rotation of said arm, to engage a check in the pocket which is in check receiving position. Said rocking member is adapted, upon such engagement of said shoulder with the check, to first effect releasing movement of said locking means, while the continued engagement of said shoulder with said check, upon further rotation of said arm, causes said disc, after being so released, to rotate with Said. arm until the next check receiving pocket is brought into check receiving position, whereupon the locking means automatically operates to lock the disc in this new pos1tion. Means are also provided for returning the actuating means, including said arm and said rocking member, to initial position upon release thereof by the manual or other operating force, and said rocking member is adapted to be so returned without effecting release of said locking means.

The movable disc is thus adapted to berotated, in successive steps in the same direction, so that each check receiving. pocket thereof is eventually moved throughout 360,

and means such as hereinafter described are provided for ejecting each check from the pocket in which it is held, at some point during such 360 movement thereof, and after completion of the operation effected by said check, so that when it is again returned to check receiving position it is free to receive another check. In the preferred form of construction, the movable disc is mounted to rotate "in a vertical or substantially vertical plane and the check delivering means are disposed adjacent the up er part of the periphery of said disc, while t e check receiving pockets are so formed that a check delivered thereto when at the upper part of the disc will be retained therein by gravity, but said check will tend to fall by gravity out of said pocket when it reaches the lower portion of its path of rotation. The operation of the ejecting means, therefore, simply assists, in the avitative dislodgment of the checks from t e check receiving pockets and insures positive ejection of any check which might tend to stick in one of the pockets.

The angular distance between adjacent check receiving pockets, and hence the rotative movement of the disc at each operation thereof, is sufficient to enable such rotative movement to effect the desired operation of the vending mechanism, orother device, to which said disc is operatively connected.

It will be understood that the coin controlled mechanism above described-is, in general, mounted inside a suitable housing, so as to prevent access thereto by unauthorized persons, and the actuating means is operatively connected to, or controlled by, operating means located outside the houslng. Said operating means may comprise, for example, a lever outside the housing and connected to the actuating means within the housing.

As a further feature of our invention, when the same is to be employed in conjunction with vending mechanism or the/like, we have provided manually operable means, accessible only from the interior of the housing, for moving the locking means out of locking position and for holding thesame in released osition, so as to permit free rotation of t e movable disc, and hence permit free operation of the vending mechanism'or the like for an desired purpose, such as inspection, reloa ing, adjustment or repair thereof.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of'our invention and referring thereto:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the check controlled mechanism, with the locking member of the actuating meanspartly broken away.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation from the left side of Fig. 1 with part of'the housing in section.

Fi 3 is a side elevation of the main working parts of the mechanism, but with said parts in a different position from that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the parts in another different position and just before cefmpletion of an operative movement there- 0 Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 in Fi 2.

Fig. 7 is a section on line 77 in ig. 1.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the apparatus is shown as ing said members together. Secured to the upright member 2 is a bearing 4 in which is rotatably mounted a shaft 5, which may be connected for operation of an suitable mechanism, such as vending mec anism of any well known type, or change delivering mechanism, or any other desired mechanism adapted to be operated by rotation of said shaft. A disc 7, constituting the movable member above mentioned is secured to said shaft in any suitable manner, as by means of a set screw 8 passing through a hub portion 9 of said disc and engaging said shaft as shown in Fig. 5, so as to cause said shaft to rotate with said disc. Said disc is preferably relatively thin throughout its major ortion as indicated particularly at 7 in ig. 5, but is provided with a thickened or enlarged rim portion 7 in "which are provided a plurality of angularly spaced pockets or recesses 10 adapted to recelve and hold checks of certain size delivered thereto. Said pockets or recesses are provided intermediate the sides of therim portion 7", whereby the metal of said rim portion provides walls 10. at both sides of said recesses, the thickness of the recess between said walls being slightly greater than the thickness of the checks by which the mechanism is to be controlled, so as to permit free movement of the check into or .out of the recess but to prevent undue tipping or tilting of the check therein.

The length of each recess 10 along the pecenter of the check, as shown in,Fig. 1, while the opposite end walls 10 of each recess converge toward the center of the disc, so as to provide an inwardl tapered recess in which the check is held y gravity so long as said recess is in the upper portion of its path of rotation.

The rim portion 7 of disc 7 is also provided with a plurality of locking recesses or notches 12 corresponding in number and in angular spacing to the recesses 10. 'Said locking notches may, for example, be placed midway between, or intermediate, the recesses 10. A bracket or supporting plate 14 is secured in any suitable manner to the upright member 2, and a locking arm 15 is pivotally mounted on said supporting plate, as by means of bolt or pin 16. Said locking arm is provided with a lug or projection 17 extending inwardly therefrom and adapted to enter any one of the locking notches 12. A torsion spring 18 is provided around the bolt 16, having one end held by engagement with plate 14 as at 19 and its other end engaging the outer side of arm 15, as at 21, and tending to force said arm inwardly into locking position. Said locking arm is provided at the other side of its pivotal support 16, with an arm 22 whose outer face 22 extends approximately tan-' gent to a circle about the axis of shaft 5. Said arm may also be provided with a face portion 23 and a projecting arm or shoulder 24 adapted to limit backward movement of the actuating means as hereinafter described. I,

The lower portion (if a chute or other means for delivering checks to the mechanism is indicated at 26, it being understood that the check may be inserted or delivered to said chute in any suitable manner, and that any selecting means may be provided for preventing delivery therethrough of any checks other than those properly intended to control operation of the mechanism herein. shown, so that only checks of proper value and possessing requisite properties will be delivered thereby. The chute 26 tenninates at 27, somewhat-above the upper edge of disc 7 and in such position that a check delivered therefrom will fall or be guided directly into one of the check receiving pockets 10, when the disc 7 is in its normal position of rest, that is when the lug 17 of locking arm 15 is in engagement with one of the notches 12.

v The actuating means for the above mech anism are shown as comprising an arm 30 extending radially from a hub portion 31 loosely and rotatably mounted upon shaft 5, and an are shaped member 32, pivotally mounted at the outer end of said arm, as by means of threaded pin or stud 33 and ex-.

tending adjacent to and outside the periphcry of disc 7. The member 32 terminates normally held in engagement with face 23 and shoulder 24- on the locking arm, by means of a torsion spring 36 coiled about the hub portion 31, and having one end fixed as by engagement with bolt 38 secured to plate 14 or to any other fixed part of the structure and its other end engaging the forward edge of arm 30 as at 39, said spring exerting a clockwise force on said arm (in Figs. 1, 3 and 4). The member 32 may be provided with depending side flanges 40 embracing the rim portion 7 of disc 7, so as to maintain said member 32 in proper alignment in the plane of said disc. The forward end portion of member 32, which is posi tioned directly between the check delivering means 26 and one of the check receiving pockets 10 when the parts are in their normal position of rest, is provided with a recess 41 and with an opening 42 at the top thereof, so as to permit passage of a check from said check delivering means into said pocket. At the rear of said recess the member 32 is provided with an upwardly and forwardly inclined shoulder or cam face 43 adapted to engage a check in position in -mit the necessary inward movement of the rear portion of member 32 to effect release of the locking arm. Said inner face 44, however, is adapted to engage the periphery of said disc and limit inward movement of the rear portion of member 32, as hereinafter described.

A11 ejecting segment 47 also projects outwardly from the hub portion 31, and is provided with a cam-shaped or eccentric outer edge 48 extending justinside the rim portion 7 of disc 7 and in the plane of the pockets 10 therein. The angular position of segment 47 is such as to engage a check in any one of the pockets 10 when said pocket reaches che'ck discharging position, and insure ejec tion or removal of said check from said pocket, as hereinafter described. A receptacle 49 may be mounted in position to receive the checks as they fall, or are ejected,

rect access thereto or tampering therewith.

by any unauthorized person. The bottom of such a housing is indlcated at 50 and a side wall thereof at 51. Any suitable means, adapted for control from outside said housing, may be provided for operating the actuating means above described. Such operating means may comprise, for example, a manually operable lever 52 located outside the side wall 51 with its hub portion 53 passing through an opening 54 in said side wall and fitting loosely over the outer end of shaft 5. Said hub portion may be connected to the hub portion 31 of the actuating means, so as to cause said hub portions to rotate together, by means of pins 56 thereon engaging in recesses 57, and

' may be normally held against withdrawal from such engagement in any suitable manner, as, for example, by means of threaded.

pins or set screws 58 passed through flange 31 on hub portion 31 and having thin inner ends engaging hub portion 53. Stop means may be provided for limiting rotative movement of lever 52 when there are no checks in the check receiving pockets. Such stop means may comprise, for example, a lug 59 secured to the inside of wall 51 in position to be engaged by the head 58 of one of the set screws 58.

Suitable means are also provided for effecting release 'of the lockin means above described independently of t e insertion of a check in the mechanism, said last named releasing means, however, being accessible and operable only from within the housing above mentioned, so as to permit operation thereof only by an authorized person having access to the interior of said housing. Such means may comprise, for example, a lever pivotally mounted on a bolt or pin 61' secured to the frame member 2, and comprising an arm 62 extending upwardly with its upper end 63 in position to engage the end of locking arm 15, and an arm 64 whose outer end 65 is normally held beneath a projection 66on leaf spring 67 so as to hold the arm 62 away from the locking armand ermit movement-0f said locking arm to locking position. It is obvious, how- 'ever, that by pressing back the leaf spring 67, so as to remove projection 66 from above the arm 64, the lever above described may be rotated in a clockwise direction, so as to swing the locking arm 15 outwardly and withdraw lug 17 from locking position. When the locking means are released in this manner, disc 7 and shaft 5, and consequently the vending mechanism or other mechanism operated by said shaft, may be moved freely, and independently, of the manual operating lever- 53 and the actuating means, for the purpose of inspecting, re-loading, ad'usting, or repairing such mechanism, or or any other purpose. I

The operation of the above described apparatus is as follows: A check of the proper size, delivered through chute 26, will pass through the opening 42 and lodge in the recess 10 which is at that time beneath said opening. Shaft 5 is then rotated in a counter clockwise direction (in Figs. 1, 3 and 4) by manual operation of lever 52. Arm and member 32 move with said shaft, causing shoulder 43 to engage the "check indicated at A in Fig. 1. As the disc 7 is at this time held from rotation by engagement of lug 17 on the locking member with one of the recesses 12, the inclination of shoulder 43 causes that end of member 32 to be raised so as to permit said shoulder to ride upwardly on the check, and this in turn depresses the arm 34 of said member and consequently the arm 22 of the locking member 15. This operation continues until said locking member is swung outwardly against the action of spring 18, sufliciently to release lug 17, whereupon disc 7 is free to turn. In the continued rotation of shaft 5, the check acts as a key to cause disc 7 to rotate therewith, the inner face \44 of member 32 engaging the outerface of said disc, as shown at in Fig. 3, to prevent further rockin movement ofsaid member and hold the s oulder 43 in engagement with the check. The parts at this time are in'some such position as shown in Fig.3, and rotation of shaft 5 is continued until the desired operation of the mechanism controlled thereby is effected.

It will be noted that when the lug 35 on arm 34 passes out of engagement with arm 22, the locking arm 15is again forced inwardly by spring 18', bringing lug 17 into sliding engagement with the periphery of disc 7-, as shown in Fig. 4, so that when the next recess, indicated at 12' in said figure, comes into position beneath said lug, the latterwill snap into said recess and lock the disc 7 in its new osition; The angular distance between ad acent locking notches 12 is such as to provide a sufiicient rotative movement of shaft 5 at each operation, to effect the desired operation of the vending machine or other mechanism controlled thereby.

A check which had served to effect the preceding operation of the machine, is indicated at B in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, and it will be seen that when said check reaches the position shown in Fig. 4 it is free to fall by gravity out of the pocketlO in which it was held, and intothe receptacle 49. When the operating lever 52' is released, spring 36 returns arm 30 and member 32, as well as said operating lever, to initial position, and it will be seen that in such return movement the segment 47 will pass'the pocket 10 in which the check B is shown in. Fig. 4, and

a will forcibly eject-said check therefrom in case there should 'be any tendency for the -the inclined faces 10.

check to stick or become wedged between The return movement of the parts above-mentioned is limited by engagement of the end of arm 34 with shoulder 23 on the locking member.

We claim:

1. A check controlled mechanism comprising a movable member, pocket means on said movable member for receiving and holding a check, means for locking said movable member against movement, and actuating means mounted for movement so as to engage a check in said pocket means, said pocket means being adapted to substantially prevent movement of said check relative to said movable member upon such engagement of said actuating means therewith, and said actuating means being operable, upon such engagement, to be moved thereby into osition to first release said locking means rom the movable member and to thereafter act through said check to move said movable member.

2. A check controlled mechanism comprising, in combination with check delivering means, a movable member, provided with a plurality of check holding pockets, means for locking said movable member in position with any one of said check holding ockets in position to receive a check from said check delivering means, and actuating means mounted for movement so as to engage a check so delivered to said pocket, said pocket being adapted to hold a check so delivered thereto against movement relative to said movable member by such engagement of said actuating means therewith, said actuating means being operable upon such engagement to first e moved thereby into position to release said locking means from engagement with said movable member, and to thereafter act through said check to move said movable member.

3. A check controlled mechanism as set forth in claim 2, said locking means being automatically operable to again engage the movable member and lock the same when a successive pocket reaches check receiving position, said mechanism-further comprising means for returning said actuating means to its initial position, and said actuating means being adapted, upon such return movement, to pass yieldingly over said locking means without efi'ecting release of said locking means.

4. A check controlled mechanism comprising a rotatably mounted disc having a plurality of check holding pockets spaced about its periphery, means for delivering a check to any one of said pockets when in a certain check receiving position, means for locking said disc in position with any one of said pockets in said check receiving position, an arm mounted for rotation about the axis of said disc, and an arc-shaped member pivotally mounted at the outer end of said arm and adjacent the periphery of said disc, said are shaped member being provided at one end with an inclined shoulder adapted, upon rotation of said arm, to engage a check in the pocket which is in check receiving position, and the other end of said are shaped member being adapted, upon such enga ement of said shoulder with the check, to re ease said locking means from engagement with said disc, whereafter the check in said pocket serves as a key to cause the disc to rotate with said arm.

5. A check controlled mechanism as set forth in claim 4, saidlocking means being automatically operable to again engage and lock said disc when a succeeding pocket reaches check receiving position.

6. A check controlled mechanism comprising a rotatably mounted disc having a plurality of check holding pockets spaced about its periphery and a plurality of locking notches spaced about its periphery and corresponding to the respective pockets, a locking lever extending adjacent the periphery of said disc and having a lug adapted to engage any one of said locking notches, means tending to hold said locking lever inwardly toward a position of engagement of said lug with one of said locking notches, an arm rotatably mounted about the axis of said disc, an arc-shaped member pivotally mounted at the outer-end of said arm and extending adjacent the periphery of said disc, said are shaped member having a shoulder adapted to engage a check in the pocket which is in check receiving position and having an arm adapted to engage said locking lever and move the same to position to release said In from the notch in which it is engaged. A check controlled mechanism comprisin a member mounted for rotation about a su stantially horizontal axis and having a plurality of spaced peripheral check holding pockets, said pockets being so shaped that the force of gravity tends to hold a check in fixed position therein. relative to said movable member when at the upper part of said member and tends to dislodge a check therefrom when at thelower part of said member,

means for delivering a check to a check receiving pocket at the upper part of said member, means for locking said member with any one of said pockets in position to receive a check fromsaid check delivering means, actuating means movable to engage a check in the pocket which is in check receiving position and operable, upon further movement while in engagement with said check, to first release said locking means by movement imparted thereto by such engagement, and to thereafter move said check and said rotatably mounted member so as to bring a succeedin pocket into check receiving position, sai locking means being automatically operable to lock said member in said last-mentioned position.

8. A check controlled mechanism as set forth in claim 7, and comprising in addition, means tending to return said actuating means to initial position after movement of said rotatably mounted member to its last-mentioned position is completed, said actuating means being adapted to yield upon engagement with said locking means during its return to said initial position and thus prevent releasing of said locking means during such return movement.

9. A check controlled mechanism as set forth in claim 7, and comprising in addition, means tending to return said actuating means to initial position after movement of said rotatably mounted member to its lastmentioned position is completed, and an ejecting member operable upon said return of the actuating means, toengage and eject a check failing to be dislod ed by avity from one of said check hol in poc ets at the lower part of said rotatal ly mounted member.

10. A check controlled mechanism comprising, in combination with a housing, a movable member adapted to be connected to the apparatus to be operated by said mechanism, means on. said movable member for receiving and holding a check, locking means biased toward position to engage said movable 'member and hold the same against movement, actuating means adapted to engage a check in said check receiving means and being operable, upon such engagement, to first release said locking means from} engagement with said movable member and to thereafter move said movable member, all of said above named parts being located within said housing, manual operating means extending outside said housing and operatively connected to said actuating means, and additional manually operable means accessible only from within said housing and operable to release said locking means from engagement with said movable member, so as to ermit free movement of said movable mem er and of the apparatus to which it is connected.

'In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names.

.HUGH E. WURZBACH. LESLIE H. WADSWORTH.

HARRY G. N UTT. 

